Gear cutting machine



Aug. 3, 1943.

J. C. MEiER GEAR CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet lBnventor JUL MN 67 fife-75x2,

7 Aug. 3, 'J c MEIER GEAR CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 2 II. m

' 31wehtor Jazz/7N CT Waive.

and the clutch member 50 preventing longitudlnal or axial'movement ofthe rod 45 so that rotation of the threaded rod 45 will-causethe tablel2 to slide on the base. The clutch member 50 cooperates or clutcheswith a similar clutch member 52 which is longitudinally slidable on therod by a pivoted hand lever 53 having a yoke 54 engageable'in an annulargroove or recess 55 of the rod. Secured to the rod 45 is a hand crank.56 by means of ,Which the table is moved tolthe leftpFigs. 1 and 2to-return it to its starting position, ready to .cut another gear.

The, slidable clutch member 52 isformed with a'sprocket 51 driven by achain 58 from a second sprocket 59 secured on a spindle60 which is ro-}tatable on a stub shaft 6| rigidly Secured to the.

base ll, thespindlefifl having a gear'62 integral 1 therewith.

Projecting forwardly or the base n, Fig. 2 is a pair of spaced lugsor-bosses 63, 6 4 which 'are integral with the-base and have aligningbores inlwhich a shaft 65"isrotatable. One end of V the shaft 65 extendsthrough the lug 64 and secured on'the endl of the shaft forrotationtherewith is an actuator having a gear 68 meshing 'with agear'filtorotate the same; Thus, as the "shaft 65 V rotates, the 1 gear62, through" the '46, moves the table l2 to the right, as the teeth29'are cut in the segmental gear'blank 3|, the

gear blank 3| also being partially rotated to-, ward and l ainst themilling cutter teeth l'l. On the other endof the shaft 65 is secured asprocket 61 drivenby a chain 68 from a second sprocket 69 securedlon thedriven pulley shaft l4. Carried by, the table I2 is a projection or pin10 which when the gear cutting of a blank is completed, abuts thesprocket 51 and moves the 'cliitch member.,52 out of engagement with theclutch member 50, thus stopping movement of the table, thefchain 58being slack, as shown ranged to rotate about a fixed axis parallel withthe direction of movement, of said support, a rotatable support for agear'blank androtatable about an axis disposed at an oblique angle diaonally to the axis of rotation of the cutter equal to the helix angle ofthe gear to be cut, means 7 operatively responsive to movement of saidfirst- V named support to rotate said secondenamed support; drive meansfor moving said, firstnamed support intermittently, andclutch meansoperatively connecting said first-named support and said drive means andoperable by said firstnamed support t I Y B. A machine for Zcuttinghelical gearscom l prising, a base, a table slidably supported onsaid.

base for rectilinear movemena a milling cutter mounted above said baseandrotatable about afixed axis parallel Withthe direction cf movement'of said table, a rotatable support for a gear blank and carried by saidtable, the axis of said support being at an oblique angle diagonally totheaxis of said cutter equal to the helix angle 7 of the teeth to beprovided on-,the blank, a i screw operable to move said table, meansoperin Fig, 3,,to prevent itv from coming off, ofthe sprockets whenthesprocket 51 isl shiftecl fwith the. clutchmeinber 52; The finishedgear 'seg- I ment is then removed and the machine is stoppedrwhile theoperator throws in the clutch and bymeans of't-he handle 56 returns thetable to its starting position. It will now be seen that in operation,the milling cutter 16 rotates constantly and the table l2 by reason ofthe drive means 66 and 62 is advanced at a constant rate of speed.Itotation of the work support 2! is effected by the advance of the table12 whichcauses the helical gear 25 to be rotated by the rack 25, therebyrotating the gear blank.

The gear 25 which, meshingwith thelrack rotates the blank; is a helicalgear correspond- 7 ing to the gearsto becut and the angle of the shaft24 is the same as, or determines the' helix angle on the finishedsegmented gears. I While I haveshown anddescribed my invention in detailitis tdbe understood that the same is "to be limited only by theappended claims for many changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of thein' vention, V i What I claiinis: I i

1.4A machine for cutting helical gears com:

prising a base, asupport mounted on said base for rectilinear movement,a milling cutter arranged to rotate about a-fixed axis parallel with thedirection of movement of said supportfa r0;

'atively'responsive to the movement of said table to rotate saidsupportp drive means for moving said table,-and-c1utch means operativelyconmeeting said drive means and said screwand operable by movementof'said table.

4. A machine for cutting helical gearjteeth on a segmentalblankcomprising, a base, a table slidably mounted on saidbase forreciprocal movement, a rotatable shait mounted: above said table and irotatable about a gfixed axis ,parallel to the direction of movementrofsaid table, a, milling cutter mounted; on said shaft, :alrotatablesupport foria segmental gear blank and carried by said table, the axisofarotation of said support being at a predeterminedoblique'anglediagonally to the'axis of rotation of said cutterandequaltothe helix angle of the gearv teeth to bev cut,-mechanismincluding a screw formoving said table, drive means for movingsaidrtable and operatively connected tosaidscrew, means I responsive. tothe movementof'saidtable for ro tating said gear blank support, andnicans're- '55 sponsive' to a predeterminedmovernent of said table forstopping said tableautomatically.

5. Afmachine for, cutting helical segmental gears comprising, a base,atable. slidably and reciprocably mounted on said, base,;a: millingcutter rotatably mounted above saidbase and havingits axis ofrotationfparallel to the direc-- tion of movement of said table, arotatable sup- 5 port for a gear blank and rotatably mountedon saidtable, agear rack below said-table, a helical gear on said support andcooperable with said gear rack to rotate said support, the axis of retation of said support lying in a plane vertical to said table and at'an angle thereto equal to the helix angle of said gear, a screw operableto move said table, dri,ve ,means operable to rotate said screw and movesaid table,,clutchmeans operr ativel y connecting said drive means, andsaid tatablesupport for a gear blanlg' and rotatable about an axisdisposedat an obliqueangle di-L agonally t0 the axis of rotation of thecutter;

,screw, and means carried bysaid table to disengage said clutch meansupon predetermined ovement of, sa dtablei inone direction.

for a gear biankand rotatably mounted on said, a i

said table, drive means operable to rotate said screw; and move saidt$ble,clutch'means opera atively connecting said 'drive means and saidtable, a gear rack below said table, a helical gear ,t on saidsupportandcooperable withg said gea'r rack to :rotate said-support, theaxis of rotation of said support lying ina plane vertical to said cutterrotatably mounted above said base and having its axis of rotationparallel to the direction of movement of said table, a rotatablesupiportfor a gearblank and' rotatably' mounted on said table,releasable means for holding a gear blank tightly to said support, agearvrack below said table, a helical gear on said support,

. and cooperable with said gear rack to rotate v table and 'at an anglethereto equal to the helix v angle of said gear, a screw operable tomove screw, means carried by said table to disengage V i said clutchmeans upon predetermined movement of said table in one direction, andmanually operable means for holding said clutch means disengaged duringreturn of the table to its starting position. i f 1 a said support, theaxis of rotation of said support lying in aplane vertical to said tableand at an angle thereto equal to 'the helix angle of said gear, a screw"operable to move said table, drive means operable to rotate said screwand move .said table, clutch means operatively connecting said drivemeans and said screw, and means carried by said table to disengage saidclutch t means upon predetermined movement of said table'in onedirection r '7. A machine for: cutting helical segmental gearscomprising, a; basefa table slidably-and I reciprocablyj mounted on saidbase, a milling

